Grand Theft Auto
by HiarDragon2006
Summary: Probably the most original Grand Theft Auto fic you'll ever read. Trust me, you won't be disapointed. Scroll down when the story page has loaded.


  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
Hello everyone,   
if you're reading this, you've probably clicked on the link. I hope you like this story and review it. Like I said in the preview, I don't think you'll be disapointed. It's pretty cool.   
  
  


GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY  


  
  
-Intro-  


Vice City was deceptively beautiful in the morning.  
The sun rose and it was orange and yellow.   
It cast an early morning light over the sparkling ocean.  
Boats skimmed the water silently; their   
massive sails flowing in the breeze.  
Everything was so peaceful.  
Had I not known this was a false  
world, a digital environment created from  
the minds of video game developers at a   
company called _Rockstar_, I wouldn't have  
minded living here for the rest of my life.   
* * * * * *  


_Grand Theft Auto: Vice City_ is a game. A shiny disc you can hold in your hand and put inside your Playstation 2.   
But what if it became more than a game? more than just a simple piece of software that faded away when you turned off the system? what if, the game continued on its own; as if nothing had happened even when the system was turned off?   


What if....You were sucked into   
_Grand Theft Auto_?  


I don't know when or why it happened; It's become almost so real to me, I'm beginning to believe that reality, the world outside this game, is false. However, I do know that one day I woke up, and I was not living in my home anymore. I wasn't even living in my _world. _I had awoken, standing up, in the middle of a street in what appeared to be downtown Miami, Florida.   
But the pixellized surroundings caught on quickly. My hands and fingers were squared off; my entire hand was just one block with lines drawn in it for fingers. My body was broken up into pieces and replaced by odd shapes. I still somewhat resembled my former self, only I was...._pixellized_. (For a lack of a better term).   
For the first few hours I wandered around; going nowhere in particular. I knew where I was and thought it was cool. Who wouldn't like being stuck in their favorite game for a little while? The only thing I didn't know was that it wasn't just going to be a little while'. Little did I know was that I was going to be in this game for a _long_ while. And the scary part was, was that I wasn't the only one.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
I first met Jake when his car almost ran me over. I was walking down Ocean Beach, about to hijack a lone mopad parked on the sidewalk, when I heard the roar of a car engine behind me. Instinct told me to jump out of the way. I dove onto the rubbery, artificial grass and slid a few inches.   
The shiny red _Banshee_ swerved to a stop after knocking over a lamp post. A tall thin teenager, about my age, quickly jumped out of the car. I rolled over on my back and we stared at each other. I could tell that he was a human. I just _knew _it. Even though he had that computerized look: squared off hands, arms, legs, etc., the way he looked at me made me believe that he wasn't some mindless AI walking the streets of Ocean Beach.   
We didn't have much to time to get acquainted because he pulled me up and shoved me in the car. He climbed into the driver's seat and closed the door. His foot pressed down on the gas and the car shot off like a bullet.   
Who are you? I blurted out. I had the sudden urge to know everything about him. It's interesting that you would like to know everything about the person that almost killed you. Plus another human among all these AI's make better conversation.   
Can't talk now. Talk later, he grunted, swerving the car around a street corner. He hit a few AI's, and they went tumbling over the windshield, smashing it. I opened my mouth to ask why, when I noticed someone staring at me. I turned my head and looked out the passenger window. If I had known how important this was, it would have horrified me.   
Tommy Vercetti, the main character of the game, was riding a street bike and it was almost completely aligned with my car window. We both stared at each other. He had a blank, pre drawn look on his face that never changed. It was the kind of look that showed this guy meant business.   
A machine gun appeared in his 3D hand. His arm stretched out and aimed for me.   
_SHIT!_  
Bullet holes lined the car door and my driver swerved the car to the left. Bullets pounded into the trunk. The car caught on fire. The driver didn't have to say anything to me. We both bailed out of the car right before it exploded. As I rolled across the hard pavement, I heard the driver of the banshee cursing. I stopped rolling and looked up. The Vercetti on the bike was a couple hundred feet ahead of us, but his bike had turned around and he was coming at us fast.   
I looked over to the driver. He stood upright for a moment, different types of weapons flashing in his hands. One weapon appeared and stayed. An AK-47. He aimed it at the Vercetti on the bike and fired. The bullets hit their mark and Tommy Vercetti went flying off his bike. The driver ran over to Tommy and pinned him down with his foot, still firing. He stopped when the Vercetti character refused to move. When the three-dimensional enemy faded away, the driver looked up at me.   
My name's Jake. he said.   


* * * * *  


So I met Jake.   
It turned out that Jake was, in fact, another human like me. He woke up one day in the middle of Vice City; not knowing what the hell was going on. Someone picked him up and told him what was going on. It seemed like an endless chain of humans finding other humans, showing them the ropes. I almost crapped my pants when he told me there were almost two hundred of us.   
All humans were different looking 3D characters. Easy to tell apart from the AI's. We all hung out at the military base; it was the safest place to stay away from the Tommy Vercettis'. Okay, here's the scoop on them: Jake and the others don't know much about it, but what they do know was that the game we exist in must have belonged to some computer game whiz. He had actually been able to make an online version of Vice City by himself.   
Some said that he was probably a _Rockstar _games developer working with some buddies. But in any case, he had connected over three hundred Playstation 2 systems over the United States through an internet site. Just download the software, and join the game. Every Tommy Vercetti from each playstation in the United States wound up in our Vice City. This posed a major problem: Almost every gamer in this inner circle' of online players knew about the different AIs'. In other words, us. So we have three hundred (and growing) Tommy Vercetti characters trying to hunt us down.   
What do you do when you get bored in Vice City? kill AIs. Remember what I said about us being able to be easily distinguished from the regular AIs? well, that's a major problem, too. The Tommy Vercettis know we pack serious gun play and the skill to fight. This is a feature that most of the mindless AIs don't have. So they go out and look for us. And the only way to beat them is to shoot them down, and keep pelting them with bullets until their health and armor meters are drained.   
If you get shot by a Vercetti, well, nobody really knows what happens. Jake says that you probably die in the real world as well. So this is the where the story begins; the continuos war between the AIs and the Vercettis. And the objective: find a way out of this game before you die.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Time goes by fast in the game. An average day is usually about an hour in reality. Before I knew it, I had already been in Vice City for two weeks. And I knew the drill well. Wake up in the barracks, and go out on patrol. We stayed organized inside the military base; it was the only way to keep the Vercettis from coming right in and killing us.   
Since there were so many humans inside the military base, the U.S. soldier AIs almost all completely disappeared. We beat up the few that walked around; they didn't fight back. Beating them up allowed us to get their weapons. Every human, including myself, carried an assault rifle.   
It was a highly efficient weapon to use against a Vercetti. It's power was capable of draining a health and armor meter in seconds. The Vercettis knew the base was where we hung out. They knew because many of them had been shot down many times here. They re-spawned at hospitals and tried again.   
My post was at the watch tower at the front gates. Me and three other human AIs looked over the street there. If a Vercetti ever managed to make it inside the gates, we would sound an alarm and the humans walking around on the ground would fight. If they failed, the remaining few of us could either run inside the Military Base's building, or escape in one of the dozens of sports cars parked in one of the military base's barracks. We had a certain advantage over the Vercettis: we could take advantage of glitches. You see, on most buildings, doorways are just drawn on. We can make a small rip in the gaming code and slip inside the building. They can't. It makes a good hiding spot for when they're chasing you down the street. As for the sports cars, they're the fastest cars in the game. Good escape vehicles.  


* * * * *  


It was an instinct to eat, sleep, and breathe. You never felt tired, hungry, or breathed air in the game. If you did, the air was artificial, the pizza you ate for food was two-dimensional and the sleep you had didn't refresh you. But you did it anyway, because you were used to it.   
Eating meant you had to go into town. However, the closest pizza parlor was ten miles away. We were allowed to leave at certain times, in small parties of four.   
It was one particular day where me and three other guys who worked guard shifts at the watch tower were sitting at a parlor table, eating tasteless two dimensional slices. Even though I didn't taste them and their toppings were a blur of color (which looked like vomit) the fact that it was going into me was good. I had the belief that it would give me energy. However, I don't think that the _Rockstar _game developers put time into adding nutrients into the pizzas.   
I had just finished my third slice when we heard the familiar roar of a mopad. Normally this wouldn't strike any kind of concern. But mopads were only common on the west island of Vice City. AIs never rode their mopads over to the east island. I turned my head just in time to see six Vercettis pull up to pizza parlor. One rode a mopad and the others drove cars.   
Buying pizza gave the Vercettis energy, even if they didn't eat it. Four of them walked in, and the other two harassed AIs outside. The four strolled past us, now hidden under the booth, and walked up to the counter. A pizza box appeared in one Vercetti's hand, then disappeared. Another Vercetti walked up, and was serviced with a pizza box. All four Vercettis bought the pizza then beat up the guy behind the counter.  
They began to harrass the AIs walking around inside the parlor. Most of the time AIs don't fight back, so it was good entertainment for the Vercettis. When they were done, they began to walk out. One of us, Andy, got too anxious and stood up. He sneered.  
It's about time they left--- he said, right before an onslaught of bullets hit him in the head. His digital body hit the ground, and blood began to leak out from under it. It slowly disappeared.   
Shit! the Vercettis saw him! Tim hissed.   
No crap! get out from under the table! Brad yelled. We all dove out from the table under fire. We retreated behind the service counter, bullets pounding at the 3D wood frame.   
Whadda we do?! I asked frantically. Tim and Brad didn't say anything. Different types of weapons flashed in their hands. Brad chose a grenade and tossed it over the counter. A few seconds passed, then a loud explosion rang out over the firepower. One Vercetti shrieked.   
One down, Brad muttered, and stood up with Tim. Both of them now held assault rifles; their firepower blazing. Tim was shot and he fell, his 3D body fading away on the floor. Brad nudged me with his foot, a signal to stand up and fight. But I was too afraid; It was like I was glued to the spot. This was my only shelter. And it wasn't going to last long.   
Brad hit the floor. His gun clattered away and disappeared. My heart pounded.   
_What am I gonna do?  
What am I gonna do?  
What am I gonna do?_  
I peeked over the counter, and saw four of the six Vercettis at the entrance, making sure that no one was still alive. I looked at Brad's lifeless body. It began to fade. That was when I got a crazy idea. I remembered that when I played _Vice City_, if you shot at a dead body, it still remained there; it didn't disappear. It was a wild gamble, but I took it.   
I snatched Brad's slumped body and jumped over the counter. The Vercettis resumed firing. Using Brad's body as a human shield, and made my way out the door. The Vercettis put their guns away and followed me. Brad's body disappeared in my hands. I ran like hell. Running, running, running...I looked over my shoulder. A few yards down the sidewalk, the Vercettis had pulled out the guns and were about to fire.  
I jumped inside a building.   
Their bullets hammered into the 3D structure. I watched them from the inside. The interior was nothing but an empty space; and I looked through the walls like they were glass. A few minutes passed, and they gave up. They left in their cars. The Vercetti who owned the mopad was dead; the vehicle was left on the sidewalk.   
So I rode a mopad back to the base.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
As soon as I pulled into the base, I felt like crying. Three of my friends, Tim, Brad, and Andy, were dead. All for someone else's entertainment. I wanted to find the Vercettis that killed them and almost me and tear them apart. You couldn't feel hunger or exhaustion, but you could still feel anger and hate.   
Jake was apparently the leader around the military base, and I told him my story. He tried to calm me by telling me how he had lost friends here, too. Apparently everyone goes through it; you're driving through town when suddenly a Vercetti hijacks your car, or shoots your friends, or whatever. It was just something you had to forget. Like your first cut or falling off a bike.   
_Just keep it strong, _ he told me. Helpful advice, but I still couldn't get over the fact that I did nothing when I was needed; I just hugged my knees behind that counter while Brad and Tim died.   


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* * * * *  


In Vice City, time begins to have less and less meaning.  
Days rolled by.  
Weeks passed.  
Months came and went.  
A year now?   
How long, exactly, had I been in _Vice City?_   
Time had become my worst enemy.  
  
Those endless days, where it was either perfect weather, or rainy weather. It was never cold. It was never hot. There was never any wind, it was just an illusion; the trees were programed to sway back and forth. I had grown to hate this city and vowed that I would probably never play it again. If I ever got out of it to begin with.  
I had killed sixty-four Tommy Vercettis within my time, and enjoyed every second of it. I loved the sense of victory. I loved the defeat they must feel. I loved the fact that every time I brought them down, when they were hunting me or not, I loved to make the player throw down his controller in frustration. If I couldn't keep the Tommy Vercettis from respawning, I would make the player keep from playing at all.   


  
  
  
Had I known what my actions would lead to, I would have stopped killing and returned to my timid life as guard at the watch tower a long time ago.   
  


Things had become very different. I was now very trusted by my fellow humans. I was known as _The Killer._ A Vercetti stole your car? don't worry, he'll be gone by tonight. A Vercetti killed your friend? I'll decapitate him myself. I was allowed to walk the streets with a select few humans who had become quite proficient at killing. We were like the Navy S.E.A.L.S.; quick and professional.   
I almost wanted to shake the hand of the Vercetti who killed my friends at the pizza parlor. He had given me the edge I needed to become a master of this game.  
It was another sunny day in the simulated city and me and the S.E.A.L.S. (or so we liked to call ourselves) were spending time at the _Malibu Club_. We sat at one of the tables surrounding the dance floor, watching people dance and drinking tasteless two-dimensional booze.   
That's when it happened.  
Almost like the pizza parlor incident. We saw two Vercettis pull up outside. Two Vercettis? no problem. We actually waited for them to walk inside the club. They didn't notice us at first. They walked inside and stood on the dance floor. Then we took action. We flipped over the table we were sitting at for cover. Two S.E.A.L.S. took cover behind the table, and I pulled out a shotgun.   
The Vercetti moved his camera angle at me just in time to see a shotgun shell hammer itself into his head. His buddy was next, seeing nothing but the butt end of a rifle before he went down. We pinned down the Vercettis with our feet, pummeling shell after shell into them. When their bodies faded away, I heard Ian (another S.E.A.L.) calling my name.   
Yo, Andrew! there's more! he shouted to me over the music.  
How many more? I asked.   
There's so many...looks about fifty. And they're coming in cars and all other kinds of crap. he reported. There was fear in his voice. I was a little disturbed myself. We could take on five, maybe ten max. But _fifty? _There were _five_ of us.   
Marco muttered. Andrew, you got an idea? I'm not coming up with anything.   
Yo, they got rocket launchers! Ian yelled, peeking out the doorway. He gripped his assault rifle nervously.   
Whadda ya' say? Spencer asked me. I had suddenly become the leader of the group. Do we go down shooting? see what happens when we die?  
I shook my head. There has to be a better idea.  
Brandon said, standing next to Ian at the door. Let's scare the dancers and get them running outside. The Vercettis won't know it's us if we're running in the crowd. They'll think we're still inside.   
Oh my god, that's friggin' brilliant! Spencer chorused. Ian was too anxious and didn't wait for the command. He fired a bullet into the crowd of dancers. The mindless AIs screamed and headed for the door. We crammed ourselves into the crowd; our weapons concealed.   
Outside was madness. Everywhere around the _Malibu Club_ was a Vercetti. We followed a small pack of dancers that had departed from the main group onto the beach. We stopped when we reached the shoreline. The AIs hit the water and drowned. Of course.   
We all bent down and touched our hands with our knees, breathing hard. My body didn't have the endurance it did when I lived in reality. In reality I was a track runner. I could've run ten times this distance. But my body in this world was pre-programmed. It couldn't take much more than a few minutes' run.   
After resting up, we came out onto the street a few blocks down from the _Malibu Club _and stole a _Sabre _that was parked on the sidewalk.   
Man, I was freaked out there for a few minutes, Spencer admitted, sitting back in the hard three-dimensional seat.   
Um, no shit? Marco asked with a grin. Even through fifty Vercettis, the S.E.A.L.S. prevail!   
I laughed. It felt like a great accomplishment; like getting an A' on a test you didn't study for.   
Suddenly, our car was hit and I tightened my grip on the steering wheel; trying to prevent the car from swerving onto the grass.  
What the--?! Brandon cried.   
Dude, we got that army of Vercettis after us, Ian said, looking out the backseat window.  
How'd they find us? Spencer wailed. I gritted my teeth and swerved off the road. Our car ran up a hill and ramped over it. Our vehicle was thrown twenty feet in the air. Two _cheetas_, obviously carrying Vercettis, hit the hill and flipped over. Our car hit ground along with ten other vehicles carrying Vercettis.   
Our _sabre _slid on the rubbery, artificial grass and we spun out a hundred yards beyond the hill.  
I screamed. One car ran into us from the side, and the Sabre's back passenger door fell off. I pressed down on the gas and the car shot forward. Another car behind us caught on fire. Brandon leaned out his door frame, now missing its door, and fired his gun into the crowd of Vercetti cars. One car blew up. Five more replaced it. It was the biggest chase this game has ever seen; One Sabre being pursued by at least thirty other vehicles.   


* * * * *  


At the speed I was going, we reached the military base within two minutes. Even though we got within the boundaries of the base, none of the Vercetti cars turned around. They all followed us inside. Guards from the watch tower rained bullets upon the Vercetti cars. Three _Banshees _blew up. Another caught on fire. The humans on the ground picked out their weapons and opened fire. It was now two hundred humans against fifty Vercettis. Cars caught on fire and blew up. Apatchis roared over head. It was a full-scale attack, and our people were ready. The S.E.A.L.S. picked out their guns and joined the attack.   
We drove the Vercettis back; until they were up against the wall of the base. l felt like we were some sort of firing squad, shooting civilians. Only these weren't civilians. They were armed and dangerous men. Eight more Vercettis dropped and disappeared. Two more. The remaining five fell. We had won the battle, but no victory comes cheap.  


* * * * *  


Twenty-two humans were hit by the Vercetti cars when they drove into the base, Jake reported sternly. Twelve of them were killed. The remaining ten are wounded. Fifty were killed in battle. Jesus, Andrew, we don't have the armor and health that the Vercetti's do! They hit us with four bullets, and we're dead! it takes one full magazine to bring a Vercetti down. _A _Vercetti. Not two. One. Do you realize the severity of this?!   
I...god...I don't don't know how the Vercettis could have followed us.. I said sincerely. Me and the other S.E.A.L.S sat in front of Jake inside the military base's main building, Jake doing a full scale attack on us.   
I know no apology can--  
Forget the goddamn apology! the calm Jake that I knew before was gone. These are criminal charges against humankind. People are talking about banishing you. How would you like to be free on the streets? have nowhere safe to go? SIXTY TWO people are dead because of your carelessness.  
Yeah, but we killed fifty Vercettis! Marco piped up. Isn't THAT worth something?   
You really haven't been here that long, have you? Jake asked Marco angrily. I don't care if you killed ALL of them! they just re-spawn at the hospitals. We don't.   
So, what do you want us to do? I asked. I felt like I owed Jake something. I owed everyone something for acting like such a badass.   
I don't know, Jake sighed. I really don't. I like you, Andrew, you're a cool guy, but now there are only one hundred and thirty eight people here out of two hundred. We can't take another attack like that.   
Let's start pegging off the Vercettis, Brandon reasoned. They pull us out of cars on the streets, so let's start doing it to them! kill them so many times, that they don't know what hit   
And exactly how many times would we have to kill them before the players got so frustrated that they stopped playing the game altogether? Jake asked. A million times, no exaggeration. Get out of here. You guys are officially banished.   
  
Chapter 4  
  
We had been banished for two weeks.   
I woke up in the all too familiar environment. The hard two-dimensional floor of a _Gang Burrito _Van. It had been parked on the outskirts of the beach since we had been banished. It was the safest spot next to the military base; somewhere the Vercettis never went.   
Uggh...what time is it? Ian asked, rolling over on the van floor.   
Twenty two o' clock, I yawned.   
So,...we gonna do somethin' today, or what? Spencer asked, leaning over from the front seat. I shrugged.  
What is there to do?   
Brandon hit the steering wheel with his fist. I hate this car, he said. It never runs out of gas. He turned around to face us. And you know what else I hate? I hate this whole island. It's too perfect here. Always so peaceful,...it never changes! today we, A) gather ammunition, B) eat MORE pizza, or C) hang out in this STUPID VAN!  
He pounded the steering wheel furiously; the van shook with his power.   
Brandon! Brandon! calm down, man! Marco yelled, grabbing onto Brandon's arm. I know how you feel, bro. We've all been in this game for too long.   
Brandon screamed and hit his forehead against the steering wheel. He let it stay there.  
I hate this place, he moaned. I want OUT. I want to go back to my JOB, see my GIRLFRIEND, drive my own car..that DOES run out of gas, he lifted his head up from the steering wheel. He looked at all of us. You know, I've been in this game for two years. Sometimes I think about just getting shot by a Vercetti. I'd like to see what happens when you die here.  
Nobody knows, that's why nobody dies on purpose, I reasoned.  
Well, I don't care. Dying would be a lot more exciting than staying here-- Brandon began to climb out of the car when Spencer pulled him back.  
Look, Brandon, you can't die. Or at least, not without all of us. If you want to die, let's make it all in one last hurrah. You know, go up against like, a hundred Vercettis? see how many we can take out before we get shot?  
I knew what Spencer was trying to do. He was trying to buy time for Brandon's life. Brandon was Spencer's best friend and he was trying to keep Brandon from losing his mind as long as he could. I grinned. Spencer was a guy you would want to have for a friend.   
Let's drive into town, I suggested. We find where the Vercettis hang out, and we blow them all to hell.  
You don't have to look, Ian said quietly. I know where they are.  


* * * * * *  


Ian had found the Vercetti hang out by accident. Back in the day where most humans freed the streets, Ian had been on Starfish Island and saw that over a hundred Vercettis were at the _Vercetti Mansion_. The most obvious place.   
Our plan was this: We would fight the Vercettis outside and inside the Mansion. Attacking them on both fronts wouldn't allow them to have a hiding place. They couldn't fall back anywhere but in the street. Taking over the mansion would be ideal for the humans, because it meant that we now had two strongholds.   
We had some wild idea that it would start a kind of war' monopoly. If the humans conquered enough land in Vice City, and drove the Vercettis out, the game wouldn't be a lot of fun anymore for most of the players. There would be less and less Vercettis walking the streets, and the city would be safe for humans.   
And if we lived, (which we very much doubted) we would be idols. Everyone would love the S.E.A.L.S. and we could spend more time enjoying the game than hiding in it. Plus it would give us more time to find a way out of the game itself.  
Our first objective in this massive operation was to get inside the military base and steal the Apatchi. There wasn't enough of us to fight on the ground both inside and outside the mansion, but the Apatchi did the work of twenty armed men. Twenty men fighting outside, and four S.E.A.L.S. slaughtering Vercettis on the inside. Since Spencer did nothing but fly the Apatchi when he played _Vice City, _he was the selected one of us to carry on the attack outside the mansion.   
Sneaking into the military base was simple. Spencer ripped a hole in the game coding by slipping through the brick wall of the military base. Stealing the Apatchi was the hard part. He managed to get it off the ground without anyone noticing (which had to have been an act of god). The four of us climbed into the van and drove off to the Vercetti Mansion. We decided to carry the attack at night, because the gamers couldn't see into the dark as well as we could.   


* * * * *  


The Vercettis had parties every night. Weird parties, too. It was mostly them driving motorcycles back and forth through crowds of AI women in bikinis who had happened to walk onto the estate. The AIs were trapped inside the estate by cars that were parked in front of the entrance. Perfect. That meant that the Vercettis had nowhere to run if the attack went as planned.   
We parked the van at the empty, dark corner of the estate. From there we would sneak inside the building and start our attack. I looked up in the sky and saw the Apatchi (operated by Spencer) flying over the south end of Starfish Island. He would attack in a few minutes, giving us enough time to get inside the building.   
We went around the back of the mansion; quietly disposing of Vercettis that were in the backyard pools. There was nothing but a doorframe for a backdoor. We slipped inside; undetected. I peeked around the corner. Nobody in the lobby. There was activity in the office upstairs, though. So there were people on the roof and in the office.   
I anticipated the Vercetti's defense attack.   
Alright guys, I whispered to them. When Spencer starts attacking, the Vercettis in the office will probably start running down the stairs to see what's going on. That's where Marco and Ian come in. Me and Brandon will take out the guys coming down the stairs from the roof.   
The S.E.A.L.S. nodded. Before taking action, I looked at the faces of my crew. They all looked like a bunch of tough twelve-year-olds. I grinned at the analogy. We waited a moment, and when we heard the first ear shattering explosion outside, we knew it was an apatchi missile hitting the ground. Spencer's attack had begun.  
As if on cue, Vercettis began to flood the staircase; heading outside to see what was happening. Ian and Marco left our little room firing their guns; moving swiftly from corner to corner; making an illusion that there were more humans in the room than there actually were. I saw two Vercettis drop in the lobby before me and Brandon headed upstairs.   
I heard footsteps. I threw a grenade a story up, and a Vercetti fell off the winding staircase. He hit ground below and his three dimensional body disappeared. More came down the stairs. Me and Brandon kept low; aiming at the Vercettis for headshots. Headshots killed the Vercetti almost immediately because it drained the armor. All that was left was their main health supply, which drained faster than armor. Another Vercetti fell off the staircase. Me and Brandon moved back and forth on the staircase; against the railing, then against the wall. We pressed forward. Two more Vercettis dropped. One shot to the head, ten to the body.  
It was more difficult for them to hit us, because their aim was manual. It took them a few seconds to lower their aim and hit us right on. We didn't give them a few seconds. Two more Vercettis dropped. Three more. The remaining few turned and ran. We pursued them; pounding them with bullets all the way. One dropped. His buddy fell. The last one backed up against the edge of the roof; different weapons flashing in his hands.   
I didn't give him time to choose his weapon. Two shots in the head and he fell off the roof. We ran to the edge of the roof and watched the action outside on the ground. Vercettis were running this way and that; trying to take cover in the two-dimensional trees or behind cars. The Apatchi was all over them; unloading an endless supply of bullets and missiles on the ground. AIs fell. Four Vercettis dropped every minute. The remaining few ran for the entrance, where the cars were parked.   
The Apatchi hovered over them. It launched a missile at the cars and the vehicles blew up; throwing the Vercettis back. Two regained their composure and stood back up. They met face to face with four missiles.   
The war on the ground was over. I turned my head and saw Ian and Marco running out onto the roof from the building exit.  
We smoked Ian said proudly. He cast a worried look at Marco, who limped next to him. Marco was shot in the leg. You know how people bleed in the game. Ian informed us. I nodded. When you're shot, blood gushes out of you like Niagara falls.   
We'll go to the hospital and get a _health-pickup._ I said. That should heal him completely.   
Marco nodded and slumped to the ground.  
I took out five, he said. the fifth got me before I got him.   
How many Vercettis were in the office? Brandon asked. Ian looked uncertain and cast another worried look at Marco, only this time it wasn't in concern for his leg.  
We were afraid to tell you, because we thought you guys might get a little freaked, he said. There were only eight Vercettis in the office.  
Brandon looked at me. There were only fourteen on the roof. he looked over the edge of the building. There HAD to have been more on the ground.   
At that point, Spencer landed the Apatchi on the helipad a few yards away from us and came running.  
We smoked those fags! he cheered. Yeah! that was so.....hey, what's going on? what's up with you guys? his expression of victory faded.   
How many Vercettis do you think you killed, Spencer? I asked. Spencer shrugged.  
What does it matter?.....Oh! okay...yeah yeah..I get it, you guys got more action than I did...  
_How many did you kill Spencer_? Brandon asked coldly. Spencer knew we weren't kidding.  
Um, I don't know....twenty five...maybe a little bit more.   
Are you serious? Ian asked shrilly. No wonder it was so easy to take all of them out! this wasn't the Vercetti strong hold. This was---  
This was just like the unpopular room in a house, I finished. Bad analogy, but it worked. There's another strong hold in the city. There weren't very many Vercettis here, which explains why we're probably not dead. There has to be---  
Um, guys? Marco squeaked. Looks like a Vercetti here phoned his pals.   
We turned our heads and looked out onto the road. Car lights filled the streets. Hundreds of car lights. The entire street was lit up.   
Holy shi... Spencer choked.   
Jesus, where are they all coming from? Ian asked. Brandon shook his head.   
I've never seen all of them before. This is full force, man, my god....I think this is all the players. Not all the players have been online before.  
Vercetti cars flooded the courtyard of the mansion. They knew their buddies were dead and they weren't happy. I turned my head to face Spencer, but he had anticipated my orders and was already running to the Apatchi. He was only a few feet away from it when enemy fire from the courtyard blew it up.   
Thrown back by the explosion, Spencer cringed on the ground. His weapons had scattered out of him and they floated where they should have laid; neon auras floating about them.   
Jesus, they know we're up here, Ian said worriedly. He ran over to Marco and picked him up. I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting the hell out of here. Marco's in no condition to fight, and--  
Set me down, Ian. Marco demanded. I'm tired of this damn island, and if this is the way I'm gonna die, so be it. I'd rather be poppin' a shell into a Vercetti's head than run away.   
But Marco, this is hopeless--   
That's the point! Marco cried. Have you guys forgot what we came here for? we came here to fight some Vercettis and die. We succeeded, and now we're fighting the entire army! you guys should be proud that they consider us THIS much of a threat. I don't know about you guys, but I'm staying.  
Nobody said anything. I looked around. Spencer was sitting on his butt, looking worried. It was the worst choices of my life; stay here with my friends, or leave without them. I knew Brandon, Ian, and Spencer were thinking the same thing. Leaving the mansion would accomplish nothing. I would probably sustain an injury jumping off the roof and hitting the ground. Then I would just run and listen to my friends gun fire die down as they were shot. I didn't want to die. I didn't know what would happen. Would I die in the real world, too? would my body in Vice City be dead, but my body in reality continue to live? I had no idea.  
I'm staying. I said finally. You guys...you guys are the best friends I've ever had. Over the time I've known all of you, we've looked out for each other. You guys were like the brothers to me. Brothers are family. Family should stick together.  
Ian grinned and nodded. I have eight thousand rounds in my rifle. I'll pop a cap in every Vercetti head I can......I'm gonna stay. S.E.A.L.S. forever, man. he walked up next to me and loaded his gun. Brandon walked up to my left.   
I've never had brothers before. he murmured. I'm the oldest out of all of you...I'm gonna look out for my little bros, don't worry.   
Spencer helped Marco up and carried him over to us.   
I can decapitate a Vercetti as well as I can fly that Apatchi. ....I'm in. He grinned. It was so inspirational. Like something in a war movie. We were united; together would fight, together we would die. There was no way we were going down without putting up one hell of a fight.  
We heard the footsteps coming up the staircase that led to the roof.   
Okay, S.E.A.L.S., I commanded boldly. Spread out! let's not be an easy target!   
We took cover behind every obstacle we could. Marco laid himself down on the platform where the Apatchi used to be. I hid myself behind a barrel. I placed my gun over top of it; aiming at the entrance to the roof. My heart pounded. I never felt so alive! so intoxicated in the moment. These truly were going to the greatest and most brief moments of my life.   
The first few appeared, and Spencer threw a grenade. Two of them fell, and the other died from our fire. Eight appeared. Our guns blazed. Two Vercettis replaced every one that died. They didn't know where we were at first; coming out of the rooftop entrance; their guns blazing. A few of them learned of our location and began to fire right at us.   
Two Vercettis fell.   
Brandon was hit.   
Another Vercetti slumped to the ground.  
Marco's body disapeared.  
I threw grenade after grenade, my gun in the other hand, blazing like wildfire.   
Five more down.  
Spencer was hit. His body slowly disappeared.  
Two more Vercettis gone.   
Our strength was weakening. Ian was wounded and fired with his good arm.   
The Vercettis began to flood the rooftop.  
Ian fell.  
I was alone.  
The last S.E.A.L.  
I knew I was a goner. I had a crazy idea. I had a special weapon concealed with me. I threw a grenade to buy a few seconds as weapons flashed in my right hand. I found the one I was looking for and stood up. The Vercettis ceased fire for a moment and looked at me; their weapons lowered.   
The chaingun had five barrels that each shot out fifteen rounds every second. I had one full magazine for it.   
_SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND! _ I screamed. My finger pulled back the trigger. The force of the gun made me take a step back. I couldn't see beyond the yellow flame of my weapon. Two Vercettis down? Four? Eight? More came. They multiplied. I was hit. I couldn't feel the pain, but I felt the force the bullet carried. It made me drop my gun and knocked me off my feet. The Vercettis crowded over me, and opened fire.  
I was dead before I even knew it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Andrew! so there you are! I've been looking for you all day!   
I lifted my head from the pillow, my face drenched in sweat. I would have been disgusted by this if I had known what was going on.  
Zzzz...wha? what's...uh...where am I? I asked groggily, pushing myself up from my bed mattress.  
In your room, apparently, My mom scolded. I looked in here earlier and you were gone. What'd you do? creep back in here when I wasn't looking?  
Er...no, I was in...Vice City.  
Excuse me?  
Um, no, I mean...I was...outside..  
Doing what?  
Running laps for um...track..yeah. I was practicing for our meet on Saturday. I got a little tired, and uh...I came in here and slept. A good lie. My mom seemed satisfied. She folded her arms.   
she said, lingering at the doorway to my room. But next time, tell me when you're going to practice so that I don't think you're just slacking off from your chores?   
Sure thing, mom.  
She left.   
I pressed my hand to my forehead. A DAY? I had been in Vice City for only a DAY in reality? I was in Vice City for almost two years!   
Was it all a dream? I asked myself. I pondered the question. Perhaps...but..it was all so real..   
My phone rang. It took a second for this to register in my mind. In my two years in Vice City, I didn't have a phone. I almost forgot how to use one. I picked up the receiver.  
I asked.  
Hi...is Andrew there?   
The voice was familiar...but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  
Andrew Smith? yeah, this is him.   
Are you who I think you are?  
I choked. This was all coming in so fast that I felt like I had hit a wall at ninety miles an hour.   
S.E.A.L.S. forever, man. he laughed. My god...I spent two years in Vice City, and all I had to do to get back was DIE?  
I laughed. Who would've thought?  
In the following months, me and Spencer tracked down Ian, Brandon, and Marco. We still go under the name of S.E.A.L.S. Our search for the creator of the online Vice City continues. But for now, this chapter in my saga ends. 


End file.
